Today we’d like to introduce you to Cherene Comick.
Hi Cherene, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
It all started back in 1994. I was a special ed director at a Christian school, and I had a student in the resource room that didn’t seem to fit. He was in sixth grade, but he was reading at a second grade level. He was articulate and he could remember things that were spoken, but he just couldn’t read! I knew the resource room was not a good placement for him because resource room is for children who were lower functioning. But Ben was not like that. I found out about this program called National Institute for Learning Development, an Educational Therapy program, and I observed it and was very impressed with what they did. My school sent me for training, and that was the beginning of educational therapy at our school. I started working with Ben and others. After 2 years in the program he no longer needed special services, and his reading greatly improved. Ben was the first of many success stories.
I don’t know if any of you are grandparents or not, but when my daughter had her daughter, I fell in love with that sweet baby. So I ended up leaving my job of 23 years as Exceptional Ed Director and moving to Fayetteville while my daughter was stationed at Womack. I nannied for a few years, but I realized that it wasn’t really my forte.
My true love was educational therapy. This program has such a high success rate with the students who are able to take it! But there was no educational therapy program within 50 miles of Fayetteville, NC.
Well, now there is. I was past retirement age. My daughter’s family moved away. What was I here for? What was my purpose? It seemed clear: start an educational therapy and testing business in Fayetteville. I wanted it to be available to students regardless of school affiliation; homeschool, private or public, and wanted it to be accessible to even students whose families cannot afford it. ( This is made possible through the NCSEAA opportunity scholarship, but I hope to someday get insurance to cover it as well.)
So in October of 2020, I made it official and Joy In Learning Discovery Center began. I absolutely love bringing the joy of learning into my students lives. A lot of the students that I work with had learning disabilities and issues and so learning is not fun. And yet they have abilities that are untapped. And I get the privilege of kind of tapping their brains and strengthening their weak areas so that I can help them so that’s the main thing that I do. I love what I do, because I’m helping children succeed.
Of course, I didn’t know what the heck I was doing starting a business! But the Women’s Business Center was right up the street from my office, and they were a valuable resource in helping me do what I need to do to have a valid, certified, registered LLC.
I NEVER thought I would be a business owner! But here I am. I plan to hire more educational therapists and have a psychologist working here so we can continue to meet the needs of students in the Fayetteville area.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Since I didn’t know how to run a business, there was that. I asked a lot of questions and sought counsel. A big thing is that I prayed about everything. So learning how to schedule and keep books has come with lots of bumps and jolts- imagine learning to drive stick shift here- but when you don’t quit, you will succeed.
I learned in the National Institute for Learning Development training that it was 20% ability and 80% attitude to be successful at something . Well, I had attitude! I do all I can to continue learning all I can, and pass it on to the next generation.
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Joy In Learning Discovery Center LLC?
At Joy In Learning we do 3 things:
1 Testing: Provide academic testing for homeschooling families to meet the NC state requirements, provide diagnostic testing like learning abilities testing, and Tests of Dyslexia.
2. Provide Educational therapy services (to students who qualify through testing.)
3 Offer Search & Teach, Cognitive Coaching, and teletherapy services.
The “day job” for me is Educational Therapy. I worked in education for 30 years. I know what works and what doesn’t . And THIS PROGRAM WORKS. It changes kids’ lives. They go from having a “dis” ability to having increasing ability in cognitive, emotional, academic and perceptual areas! No longer needing classroom supports! It does not happen overnight; but after usually 2-3 years of therapy (twice/week, 80 minutes each time plus homework) a student can be greatly improved so that they no longer need resource room type services.
What sets us apart is that for 52 years NILD has worked on improving brain functioning using techniques that change how they think and how they learn. Students learn what their weak and strong areas are and how to focus and apply themselves to be successful learners! It is not tutoring. Tutor teaches the “what to learn”. Educational therapy teaches “how to learn” and a “yes I can” attitude to kids who have been discouraged by their former inabilities.
Is there any advice you’d like to share with our readers who might just be starting out?
Tap into your local Women’s Business Center. They are invested in helping women make it in the work world.
Contact Info:
- Website: joyinlearning.net
- Instagram: joyinlearningdiscoverycenter
- Facebook: Joy In Learning Discovery Center
- Linkedin: Cherene Comick
